Confined
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done. (Surprise! ;) One last story for the year! Haha)
1. From the Ground Up

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: Well, it's time for a new chapter story! Buckle up, because it's going to be an interesting ride! Also, this takes place about a week after "The Magic of Wassailia." 😉 Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 1: From the Ground Up

Sofia hummed happily as she started her ascent of the tower stairwell. Since she and her siblings were still on their winter break, she had more free time than usual; having just returned from Avalor over the Wassailia and Navidad holidays, she'd believed she would have been exhausted, but her energy was not yet spent. She was happy about that, of course, because that gave her more time to do the things she enjoyed and see the people she cared about. Which led her to her favorite sorcerer, naturally!

Pausing at his door, Sofia knocked and waited until she heard him call for her to enter. The princess opened the door and walked inside, only to pause, blinking at the scene before her.

Cedric had several pieces of parchment scattered all over the floor, information scribbled onto each in hasty handwriting. He seemed to be muttering to himself as he paced from one parchment to the next.

Sofia glanced toward Wormwood, who shook his head and rolled his eyes. She then looked back toward her mentor. "Um, Mr. Cedric?" she asked curiously as she avoided stepping on anything. "What's going on?"

"I know this looks a little chaotic," he began as he picked up a few of his documents, "but there's a method to this madness."

"I beg to differ," the raven scoffed. "This place looks even messier than usual."

"What exactly are you doing?" Sofia wondered as she sat down on his rolling stool.

"I'll explain in just a moment." Tiring of picking up the documents, he withdrew his wand and magically transported them all into several neat stacks on his desk. He then turned toward his apprentice and sheathed his wand. "How would you feel about accompanying me to another kingdom to establish a new sorcerer tomorrow?"

The princess blinked. "What does that mean, 'establishing' him?"

"It means getting him settled into his role as a royal sorcerer. You see, the Kingdom of Namile is relatively new, begun by a more progressive king and queen. The young sorcerer, Dante, is literally going to have to build his sorcery skills and workspace from the ground up." He leaned against his desk and folded his arms. "Establishing a sorcerer means preparing him for the job ahead, Sofia. He must have a proper workshop setup as well as know the ethics code for utilizing magic."

Wormwood snorted. "That's ironic, considering the source."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Wormy." He looked back toward the young girl, who was giggling. "Dante is only seventeen, which means he could use all the help he could get. For some surprising reason, the king and queen reached out to me to ask me to help." He chuckled as he recalled a vital detail. "Believe it or not, your mother was the one who recommended me, so…"

Sofia smiled. "I'd love to go with you, Mr. Cedric. I just need to ask my parents first. How long will we be gone?"

"A few days, perhaps three or so. Go ahead and talk with your parents. I need to finish organizing these notes, and then I'll begin packing." He looked toward the raven. "Wormwood, are you going?"

"No, thanks. I'd rather stay behind." He yawned. "That bunny wore me out on our trip to Avalor. Thirty-six games of Go Fish and a berry eating contest can really be rather tiresome."

"Oh, _that's_ what happened to you guys," Sofia laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Okay, Mr. Cedric. I'm going to go talk to Mom and Dad, and I'll let you know what they say."

"Very well." He looked up as she left, the door closing behind her. "Wormy, have you seen my travel bag? I could have sworn I left it on the cabinet."

"You did, but I got cold last night and…" He grinned sheepishly as his master raised an eyebrow at him. "It was rather warm and comfy, I must admit."

Cedric shook his head. "Oh, Wormy…"

Downstairs, Sofia walked over to her parents, who were conversing with a few of the staff members in the hall. She waited until they were finished to approach them.

"Oh, Sofia," Miranda acknowledged with a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much… But I did want to talk to you guys. Mr. Cedric said he's traveling to a new kingdom called Namile to 'establish a new sorcerer' or something like that, and he invited me to go. Can I?"

Roland wanted to say no, but he did recall that he was trying to make amends with his employee. After all, he'd done well on the trip to Avalor, and there had been _no_ evidence of anything suspicious since 'that day.' So… "Well, Sofia—"

"Of course you can, Sofia," Miranda said before her husband could finish. She smiled at him when he gave her a look. "Your father and I will be traveling to Tangu for a few days anyway, and James and Amber wanted to go along. We were going to ask you if you'd like to come, but if you'd rather go with Cedric, you're welcome to."

Sofia smiled and nodded before glancing at Roland, who seemed a little quiet. "Dad…?"

Roland blinked before finally smiling and nodding. "It's fine with me too. You be careful though, all right? We don't know anything about Namile, and while I'm sure they'll be hospitable enough, it's best to keep your eyes and ears open at all times, okay?"

"I will. Mr. Cedric will be with me too, so…" She grinned. "I'll protect him."

Her parents laughed as she hugged them.

Miranda kissed her forehead. "We'll be home in a few days. If you two return before us, give Baileywick a hand every now and then, would you?"

Sofia nodded. "Okay, Mom. Thank you!" With that, she headed off to pack her suitcase.

"Should we be worried, Miranda?" Roland wondered as he glanced her way. "I mean, regardless of what's gone on with Cedric before, even though he's made improvements, we don't know anything about this new kingdom. What if something happens?"

"They'll keep each other safe, Rollie," she responded as she took his hand. "You know that as well as I do. Cedric won't let anything happen to Sofia, and Sofia always looks after _everyone_. So, have some faith in both of them." She kissed his cheek before walking off. "I'm going to go pack _our_ suitcases now. Can you check on James and Amber and see how they're coming along?"

He chuckled. "Sure." With that, he headed off to see to the twins. "I hope you're right, Miranda…"

The next morning, the two groups went their own ways: Roland, Miranda, and the twins to Tangu, and Cedric and Sofia to Namile. As they were loading their luggage into the flying coach, Cedric noticed Sofia grasping her amulet with a frown set on her face.

"Sofia?" he asked in concern. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" She smiled at him. "No, nothing… I guess I'm just a little nervous about the trip is all."

He offered her a reassuring smile before holding out his hand, helping her into the coach. "It will be all right. We'll get Dante established, and we'll be back home before you know it."

She nodded as he stepped inside, sitting next to her. "Okay, Mr. Cedric."

While the friends were on their way to the new kingdom, they couldn't have possibly imagined what lay in store for them…

To be continued…


	2. Dante the Delightful

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: And behold, we have a new young sorcerer: Dante the Delightful! Yes, there's a reason behind his title. Isn't there always? Haha. Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Dante the Delightful

"Oh, what did I do with—ah-hah!" A seventeen-year-old boy with brilliant amethyst eyes and long black hair tied into a messy ponytail winced as he bumped his head on the table before him. He wore dark slacks and boots, and he had a white vest over a black undershirt, as well as a navy blue and gold open robe with a matching gold belt, which completed his ensemble. Around his neck was a green prism pendant given to him by his mother. He withdrew a dark wand from under the table and placed it on the top as he carefully massaged the back of his head. "Ow…"

His name was Dante the Delightful, a title given to him by his professors for his upbeat and vibrant personality, his infectious positivity, and his charming ways. Dante was a prodigy of sorts, as he had managed to connect with his magical abilities at the age of two and had studied it continuously, day in and day out, ever since. While he was excited to have the title of _royal sorcerer_ bestowed upon him soon enough, his older five sisters had all tried to talk him out of it, saying he was too young and naïve for such a prestigious job. Still, despite that, he had his parents' support, which benefitted him greatly and made him quite happy.

King Leandro and Queen Amelie, the rulers of his kingdom, maintained that they had every confidence in Dante's abilities, and they seemed really excited to see him get established. In fact, they were the ones who had requested a seasoned royal sorcerer for help, and during a chance meeting with the queen of Enchancia, Miranda had suggested Cedric on a whim, which had surprised both Cedric _and_ Roland. Still, it calmed his nerves to know that he had an actual royal sorcerer on the way to help him.

"And here, ladies and gentlemen," he began playfully, gesturing around the empty room that was not yet finished, "you have Dante the Delightful's upcoming workshop! Soon, it will be filled with many potions, magical items, and the sounds of magic and science combined…" He scratched his head as he realized he was talking to himself. "Heh… Maybe I should save my grand revelation for actual people?"

Dante's favorite type of magic was alteration, in which one could turn one thing into something else. A lover of science, he found the relation to alchemy fascinating in its own right.

"Hmm, maybe Henri has one of his famous pies baked by now." He grinned. "I'm starved." He grabbed his wand and pushed it into his interior pocket of his navy blue robe before exiting the room, climbing up the stairs to the upper level of the castle. He walked into the kitchen, which was luckily near his workshop, and grinned at a dark-haired man who was currently cooking. "Morning, Chef!"

The man glanced up, irritation on his face. "Dante," he sighed, rolling his eyes. His name was Chef Henri, and while he appeared sort of quick-tempered, he was really just very passionate about his work. Truthfully, the two, though differing in their ages by forty years, shared a love for magic and education. Still, that didn't mean they were without their little quibbles every now and again, just like any close friends. "No, I don't have any pie baked. Come back tonight."

"Aw… But I'm hungry _now_." The boy pouted as he leaned against the wall, staring longingly at the food his friend was cooking. "Do you have _anything_ I can eat?"

"Why don't you eat at a normal time, like everyone else in this castle?" Chef Henri sighed as he pushed a tray of food into the oven and stood back.

"I've been too busy to eat, honestly." He grinned. "I'm kind of excited about my upcoming establishment. I'll finally be a _real_ royal sorcerer instead of 'that smart kid who likes magic but looks too young to be working.' You know, like pretty much everyone describes me."

Chef Henri finally smiled as he grabbed a towel and dried off his forehead. "Nonsense, Dante. You got where you are because of your abilities. Who cares about age? What matters is what you're able to deliver, and you have exceeded every expectation the king and queen had for you. So go easy on yourself." He draped the towel over his shoulder and picked up a plate from the counter, extending it toward the boy.

Dante's purple eyes lit up in excitement as he hurried over, grasping the plate with a silly grin plastered over his face as he eyed all the breakfast items before him. "Aw, Chef, you do care."

"Just…" Chef Henri sighed as he watched his young friend practically scarf down his breakfast. "Dante, just be careful, all right? Coming into such a position of power means… _some_ things may be different afterward, and that may mean a few more challenges for you."

The boy nodded as he finished, passing the empty plate back to the older man, who took it. "I know. But I feel like I'm ready. I think it'll be fine." He grinned and placed his hands on his hips before Chef Henri could speak further. "And yes, _dad_ , I'll be careful."

The man smirked. "I might as _well_ be your back-up father at this point. You annoy me as much as any of my actual children." He chuckled and waved the teen away. "Run along now. I've got to get back to work."

Dante grinned. "Okay. See you later!" With that, he headed off to occupy himself until his visitor arrived. Unbeknownst to him, he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

To be continued…


	3. Unseen

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: All right, time for the two worlds to collide, so to speak. ;D And here you'll get to see Sofia's sense of danger kick into play. You know, she's getting better at that in recent years. Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 3: Unseen

It was mid-morning when Cedric and Sofia arrived in the Kingdom of Namile. They exited the coach together while the coachman called for a few hands to take care of their luggage. They looked at the castle before them, impressed with its majestic blue hue and multiple towers.

"It's nice for a new castle," Cedric admitted as he observed it.

Sofia grinned. "Maybe that's _why_ it's nice: because it _is_ new?"

"Hmm."

They were halted in their conversation when they witnessed a hurried mass of blue and black rushing toward them, an amusing sight for the friends.

Dante stopped right before the princess and sorcerer, leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He then stood up to his full height and smiled excitedly. "Hi! The staff mentioned we had visitors. You must be the royal sorcerer from Enchancia, right? I'm Dante, the soon-to-be royal sorcerer of…well, here." He laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'm kind of…not used to talking to a lot of people."

Cedric chuckled. "It's quite all right. Yes, I'm Cedric, and this is my apprentice Princess Sofia. She's come along to help."

Dante blinked down at the girl in surprise. "A princess as an apprentice? Wow, that's pretty neat." He gave the girl a sloppy bow, causing Sofia to laugh. "Heh, gotta work on that too…"

Sofia just smiled. "It's okay, Dante. You don't have to bow to me. I'm just Sofia when I'm with Mr. Cedric."

"Ah, okay," the boy said, straightening up. "Well, you're probably kind of cold out here. Follow me. I'll show you where my workshop is going to be set up." He walked forward, the Enchancian duo following him.

"And where are they taking our luggage exactly?" Cedric asked as he watched a few workers go past them with their things.

"Queen Amelie had two rooms set up for you guys. I'll show you those in a little while." He smiled happily and led them onward.

"He sure is upbeat," Sofia remarked to her mentor with a giggle.

"Yes… Well, it _is_ rather exciting when you finally get your own workshop and title."

As they carried on, Sofia couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Something didn't feel right. She at one point could have sworn she'd heard footsteps behind her, but Dante was ahead of them both, and Cedric was right beside her. At another point, she glanced to the side where she saw a strange-looking man glaring at her from behind a marble column. She looked up toward Cedric, who didn't notice, and then looked back, blinking when she realized the man wasn't there anymore. Unsettled, she grabbed Cedric's hand with both of hers, pressing closer to him as they walked.

Cedric blinked down at the girl when he noticed her actions. "Are you all right?"

"I'm…not sure."

Before he could press for further information, Dante gave a laugh of victory once they'd arrived at the door that led to his workshop.

"Here we are!" he told them enthusiastically. "Best thing about being down here: it's really close to the kitchen. So if you get hungry, the kitchen's right there." He pointed to the side, where indeed they heard the typical kitchen sounds and smelled the aroma of cooking from within. "Tell Chef Henri you're working with me, and he… _may_ give you food. If he's in a good mood." He laughed and opened the door, walking down the steps.

"Sofia," Cedric started again, getting her attention. "What's the matter?"

"Do you ever feel like you're being watched?" She glanced behind her as she asked that question, involuntarily shaking a bit.

He took a look around and didn't see or feel anything out of the ordinary, so he released his hand from her grip and placed it on her shoulder instead. "Don't worry. Nothing can harm you, not with me here."

She smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

A few minutes later, the trio arrived in the workshop under the castle. Dante used his wand to light several candles around the area in order to better illuminate the space. Pretty soon, the entire workshop was visible, as if seeing it via daylight.

"Okay, Mr. Cedric," Dante began, turning toward the other sorcerer. "Where do we begin?"

Cedric pondered before glancing around. "Well, first thing's first: organization. Trust me on this: without organization, your workspace will be completely useless. We'll need to devise a methodical system for you to find everything. After that, we need to work on security."

"Security?" the boy asked.

"Yes, of course. Not only is it best to secure the workshop for _your_ safety, but if the royal family happened to come down here, for example, you would want them to be safe as well, yes?"

"Oh! Right, yeah, definitely." He smiled. "They kind of gave me this job, so… Yeah, I absolutely want to make sure they're safe."

"Hmm. Everything else will fall into place as we go." Cedric wielded his wand. "So let's get started."

It took a good three hours to clean, organize, and secure the workshop, but the ending product was fantastic. Dante's books were arranged in alphabetical _and_ categorical orders. His scientific instruments were sterilized and arranged by size and purpose. His potions and wands were each given their own glass cabinet. Even his seemingly meaningless portraits he'd left unattended were now hanging around the room, thanks to Sofia.

They all collapsed into their own chairs, relaxing, after the long hours of work.

"I didn't realize how much work went into fixing up a sorcerer's workshop," Sofia admitted.

Cedric laughed breathlessly. "Luckily for me, my father had already organized most of mine, but it still took effort to give it my own touch. Thankfully for you, Dante, the space down here is enough to benefit your work but not so grand that it becomes overwhelming."

The teen nodded. "I agree. That's actually why I like it so much."

While the sorcerers chatted, Sofia frowned as she heard a bump from nearby. Gasping, she pushed her chair closer to Cedric yet again, grasping his arm for comfort.

Dante blinked at the princess's actions. "What's wrong, Sofia?"

Cedric frowned and placed one hand over hers. "Are you still concerned about…being watched?"

Sofia bit her lip and looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing. She glanced back at them. "I promise you guys, I'm hearing things behind us. I keep seeing creepy people and then they disappear. I don't know what's going on, but I'm kind of scared that maybe some enemies are following us."

Dante smiled kindly toward her. "Don't be silly, Sofia. The Kingdom of Namile is new, so there aren't any enemies here."

The princess shook her head. "No… But while you guys may not have enemies, Mr. Cedric and I…" She frowned. "We do. But…I don't get the feeling that this particular 'enemy' is someone we know or have gone up against in the past." She glanced toward Cedric. "Not Grimtrix…or anyone else."

Cedric sighed and squeezed her hand tighter, unsure of how to make her feel better.

To calm her down, Dante smiled and pulled out his wand, performing a simple magic trick. "My father taught me this. Watch." He grinned as he crafted a hologram image of a purple rose, causing the princess to stare at it in awe (since she loved the hologram magic Cedric performed). With one flick of his wand, the hologram turned into a real physical flower. Dante grabbed it and offered it to Sofia, who smiled happily, cheering up. "Whatever it is that you're scared of, don't worry. Maybe it's nothing after all."

"And if it is," Cedric interjected, watching her turn to him, "I'll protect you."

Dante nodded. "And I'll help!"

Sofia giggled as she inhaled the scent of the rose. "Thanks, you guys…"

Meanwhile, via a strange outlet, a pair of eyes focused on the trio from a distance, a dark chuckle bubbling up within the stranger. "Let the games begin."

To be continued…


	4. Overtaken

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: You'll meet another new character this chapter. 😉 But something's not right here… Poor Cedric and Sofia have no idea what they're in for! Enjoy.

*Story*

Chapter 4: Overtaken

The trio finished up somewhere shortly after noon and decided to get some lunch. Afterward, they finally met up with the king and queen in the throne room.

"Cedric?" the king asked enthusiastically, smiling as he received a nod and a bow. "I'm King Leandro. This is my wife Queen Amelie. We are delighted and so appreciative to have you here to help establish Dante as our royal sorcerer. And who is your young friend here?"

The princess smiled as she curtsied once. "I'm Princess Sofia of Enchancia. Mr. Cedric is my mentor and one of my closest friends."

"How delightful!" Queen Amelie enthused with a grin. "Our daughter is a lot like you—makes friends of different varieties…and likes magic."

Sofia giggled. "I don't just like magic, Queen Amelie. I love it!"

Cedric smiled proudly at that statement.

"That's great to hear," the king said. "Now, I trust that you've gotten your workshop in order, Dante?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good! Then all you need to do is prepare for your initiation tonight. If you'd like, Cedric and Princess Sofia may help you, if they feel inclined to do so. Do you feel confident?"

Dante blinked. _Why_ would he ask _that_? "Um…"

The king smiled happily, oblivious to the boy's troubled expression. "Fantastic! Go on ahead and prepare. We will see you later tonight." He then turned to the visitors. "Cedric, Princess Sofia, it's been an honor meeting you, and thank you so much for taking time out of your schedules to help Dante."

Cedric nodded and bowed respectfully. "It's our pleasure, Your Majesty."

They returned to the workshop and spent another few hours preparing for the initiation: from what to say, to how to dress, to spells to conduct… It was a lot to remember. Cedric would know; he'd been there before himself.

"Above all else, Dante," Cedric told him simply, "have confidence in yourself. You're going to be a great royal sorcerer. You have the passion and drive; we've both seen it."

Sofia nodded. "Mr. Cedric's right, Dante. You can do this! Just be yourself!"

The dark-haired boy smiled in appreciation. "Thanks, you guys… Um, if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time preparing, so could you…?"

The girl grinned and grabbed Cedric's hand, pulling him toward the door. "Say no more! We can go check out our rooms anyway. We'll see you tonight, Dante!"

He waved as they left before sighing and turning back to his pile of books. "Be myself…" He nodded and sat down. "Okay, let's review again—from the top."

Cedric and Sofia had just returned from the stairwell and walked past the kitchen when they smelled a strange scent.

"Do you smell that?" Sofia asked curiously as she sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose and lifting a hand to it. "What is that?"

Cedric paused in his walking and frowned, placing a hand to his nose as well. "It smells like…" His eyes widened slightly, his other hand lifting to rest on his apprentice's shoulder. "F-Fainting Fragrance," he told her worriedly, noting her dazed look. "Sofia, we must leave, now!"

"I feel…sleepy, Mr. Cedric," she yawned before collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"Sofia!" Cedric didn't last much longer before he, too, fainted right next to her, both knocked out.

A dark cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows and chuckled wickedly at the sight of the two friends on the floor. He snapped his fingers, causing both of them to vanish in midair.

Not too much longer, Dante exited his workshop, stretching after being hunched over reading for a while. "Now to find Mr. Cedric and Sofia…" He started with the first obvious place: their temporary rooms. After getting notification of which rooms in particular were theirs, he checked each and discovered them empty, save their luggage. He then checked the kitchen, the throne room, outside, and everywhere. He couldn't find them. "It's like they've vanished," he murmured to himself, a frown forming on his face as he wielded his wand. "I have a bad feeling…"

Before long, he came across the same mysterious man from earlier, casually walking through the corridors of the castle. Dante didn't recognize him, so he grew rather defensive as a wave of alarm rushed through him. "You there!" he called, projecting his voice to sound as threatening as possible, as much as he could. "Stop!" He scowled when the man continued walking. "Did you hear what I said? Stop!"

The man laughed darkly and responded, "You should worry more about the princess and sorcerer I've taken than about getting me to 'stop,' little boy." With that, he tossed a map over his shoulder, knocking Dante in the head with it. As he scrambled to pick it up, the man smirked as he kept walking, his back turned to the boy. "Prove you're not as worthless as you act, little 'royal sorcerer.'" He laughed and vanished.

Dante observed the map, realizing that, according to the information on it, his friends had been taken to an abandoned prison called the Spectral Reformatory, a place that used to house some of the worst criminals, both magical and non-magical. Realizing rather quickly that he needed help, he decided to seek out his closest friend.

He took off on foot down the hallway, rushing past rooms and workers going about their daily grind. At last he arrived at a large white door covered in beautiful carvings. He knocked urgently, shifting from foot to foot. "Please be here," he murmured.

The door opened a few moments later, and a girl about his age with long blonde hair tied back with a white flower, violet eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a simple white dress with black and green accents appeared at the door. She smiled at first before frowning. "Dante, what's wrong?"

"Princess Seraphina," he began formally, just as a few guards were walking past.

She frowned. He _never_ addressed her by her title unless something was wrong…or if he meant business. "Dante?"

"Sera," he began again after the guards had left, sighing and clasping his hands together in a pleading motion, surprising his friend. "I need your help."

To be continued…


	5. Dazed and Confused

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: If you're wanting to see some bonding with our favorite magical duo, this is your chapter. 😊 Also, I get to explore something I've thought about a lot and want to see more of in the actual show… Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 5: Dazed and Confused

Some time later, though just how much time they couldn't be certain, Cedric and Sofia woke up in a dingy cell. There was one solitary window with five thick bars across it serving as their sole source of light, yet it was much too high and too dangerous (not to mention impossible) to consider using it as an escape. They had been unceremoniously cast onto the hard, cold floor of the cell, so they ached quite a lot when they finally came to their senses.

Cedric sat up, his back aching in a manner he'd never experienced, before glancing at his apprentice. "Are you hurt?" he asked in concern, worried for her safety.

"I hurt a bit from being on this floor for a while," she admitted, rubbing her neck. She frowned as she noticed a cot at the side of the room. "Really? Couldn't even put us on a cushion?"

"I doubt any villain truly takes comfort into consideration when dealing with kidnapping victims, my dear." With some difficulty, he stood to his feet and extended his hands to offer the same courtesy to his charge.

Sofia was unsure about accepting his offer considering the fact that they both seemed to have some form of pain, but seeing his determined features, she took his hands and pulled herself up, regretting it immediately. "Ahh!"

"Sofia? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Everything!" she gasped, wincing in discomfort. "I'm sorry to complain, Mr. Cedric, but—"

Cedric silenced her by gently placing a hand on her back and carefully guiding her to the cot, having them both sit down. "You have every right to complain, Sofia. This isn't your fault, nor did you ask for this." He began searching for his wand. "I have a healing spell, so I can…" He froze as he finished searching his robe. "Oh, no."

"Mr. Cedric?"

"My wand! It's gone!" He scowled. "Merlin's Mushrooms! Of all the things to take! Ugh!" He pressed one hand to his forehead, realizing that without his wand (or Sofia's for that matter, since he knew she'd left hers in her luggage), healing either of them would be virtually impossible.

Sofia whimpered a bit, lowering her head into her hands. "Who would do this?"

"We have a long list of enemies, I'm afraid… But I'm inclined to agree with your earlier statement that this doesn't feel like something someone we've encountered would do…" He sighed. "And now, we've been separated from Dante, who's due for his official initiation tonight."

"This is horrible… I feel bad for Dante. I mean, I feel bad for us too, but…" She sighed, a tear escaping her eye, though whether in frustration, pain, or both she wasn't certain.

Cedric calmed himself down a bit and placed one hand on her shoulder. "What hurts you the most?"

"My back," she admitted, shivering a bit in the cold atmosphere. "That guy must have just thrown us in here…"

"All right, I have an idea, and I'm not even sure it's going to work, but it couldn't possibly hurt at this point. Turn around."

Sofia blinked before complying, turning her back to him and leaning forward a bit to rest her arms on her legs.

Cedric brushed Sofia's hair over her shoulders and carefully placed his hands against her upper back. Without saying a word, he closed his eyes and concentrated all of his energy and magic to one focal point: his hands. Within seconds, his magic spread from his hands into Sofia, both warming her and healing her at the same time. He had to admit that he was rather surprised. He hadn't performed hand magic since he was a child, and he was astonished that it had worked at all.

The princess turned to her friend after he had finished his healing. "H-How did you do that?" she asked in awe.

"It's called hand magic… I haven't done it in years, since I was very young. All sorcerers from a magical bloodline have the capability; I've just come to rely more on my wand instead." He smiled thoughtfully toward the girl. "However, now that I've become more confident in my abilities, perhaps I can start using it more, hmm?"

She smiled and nodded. "I think that would be amazing." She frowned in realization. "But what about you, Mr. Cedric? Aren't you hurting too?"

"I'm better now that I'm on this…poor excuse for a cot." He shrugged, an action he immediately regretted as he felt the pain in his back resurfacing. "Well, it's better than being on the floor anyway…"

Sofia sighed before gasping. "I have an idea. You can heal yourself!"

He shook his head. "I can't reach _my_ back, Sofia…"

"What if I helped? Like a buffer or something?"

He raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "I have never tried that before… I suppose it couldn't hurt."

The princess placed one hand against his back before offering her other hand to him, which he gently grasped with both of his own hands. She watched in awe as his magic flowed from his fingers into her hand and then spread over to her other hand, eventually reaching his back. Whatever pain she might have felt was completely gone now, and she could tell he was starting to relax and seemingly feel better as well.

After a few minutes, Sofia asked, "Mr. Cedric?"

He opened his eyes and released her hand before smiling and nodding to her. "You, my dear, are a genius."

She grinned sheepishly. "Well… I don't know about _that_." She leaned over and hugged him, smiling as he returned the hug gently. "We're going to get out of here, right?"

Cedric nodded. "I promise."

"We'll see about that."

The two friends turned toward the cell door when they noticed a young man standing before them. He was tall and seemingly in his thirties, his hair a slick dark shade, his eyes olive, and stylish dark green tunic and dark slacks and boots making up his outfit.

Sofia frowned and stood from the cot, her hands fisted by her sides. She was angry, with good reason. "Who are you? Tell us your name!"

He chuckled menacingly, folding his arms. "My name is Lord Tudles."

Despite the serious situation, Cedric and Sofia exchanged glances at finally hearing the name of the one who was responsible for their abduction.

"Lord…Tudles, you say?" Cedric asked with a smirk as Sofia giggled. "So tell me, sir… Does Lord Tudles raise poodles?"

Sofia burst out laughing harder, leaning against her friend in the process. "Mr. Cedric! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The man glowered at them and growled, yelling, "Shut up! Agh, since you two cannot be serious, you will call me by my battle name: Lord Tolvin!"

Sofia slowed her laughter enough to ask, "But why? Lord Tudles is such an _adorable_ name."

Cedric snickered. "Don't you mean 'ah-dorable?'" With that, they fell into more giggles.

"Silence!" The man held up his wand toward them, instantly shushing them. He frowned. "Hmph. I'm a ruthless warrior from the north, I'll have you know. I've won several battles against countless enemies." He smirked as he noticed they were looking at his wand. "Oh, and I'm also a warlock, in case you haven't guessed."

Cedric pushed Sofia behind him on the cot. "What do you want with us?"

"This isn't about _you_. This is about Dante."

The princess looked out from behind Cedric, though she noted that he still kept his arm extended so she couldn't go much farther. "What about him?"

"I must stop his initiation as the royal sorcerer of Namile." He frowned as the other two asked why. "He's not what he appears to be. Dante is wanted for treason in another kingdom, the one from which Namile is originally derived, and you two helping to initiate him caused interference with my plans. Therefore, I had to take care of you both."

Cedric growled. "Let us go! No matter what Dante has been accused of, if it's even true, we had nothing to do with it. Do you not even realize whom you've imprisoned?"

Lord Tolvin smirked. "Oh, you mean Princess Sofia of Enchancia, don't you? And her precious sorcerer Cedric the Sensational." He chuckled. "Oh, I know all about you two. I know you've both caused a bit of trouble for others in the past, so I'm not entirely surprised to see that you've been a problem to me as well." He sheathed his wand. "You're now accomplices to Dante the Delightful, and until he's captured, you'll stay right where you are." He turned and disappeared yet again.

Sofia frowned as she looked toward her friend. "Do you believe that Dante is actually a criminal, Mr. Cedric? Because I don't get a bad feeling from him at all…"

Cedric sighed and gave his apprentice a solemn look. "You never got a bad feeling about me either, prior to… _that day_."

Sofia lowered her head, feeling defeated.

To be continued…


	6. Quest of Unrest

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: All right! Time for Dante and Princess Seraphina to interfere. :D Hopefully Lord Poodles—I mean, Tolvin—doesn't interrupt. 😉 Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 6: Quest of Unrest

"Where exactly are we going again?" Seraphina asked as she followed Dante's hurried steps out the front door of the castle. She became worried when he didn't respond. "Dante, answer me!"

"Shh," he insisted, hanging back and grabbing her hand. "We aren't trying to alert anyone, Sera… So please, for my sake, keep your voice down." He pulled her away from the prying eyes of the guards and across the drawbridge leading to the castle. Once away, he held out the map for them both to see. "This is the map to the Spectral Reformatory. Mr. Cedric and Princess Sofia were taken by some guy in a dark outfit, and they all just vanished into thin air. The guy said this map shows where he's taken them."

"So we have to travel to the Spectral Reformatory," the princess surmised with a sigh. "That's a long walk, Dante…"

"Then we'd better get started." He grabbed her hand again and tugged her along.

As they walked, they turned to a relatively recent event for discussion.

"Are you nervous about your initiation?" she asked as they moved on.

"Honestly, right now, I'm more worried about Mr. Cedric and Sofia. I'll panic about the initiation when they're safe and sound."

The princess laughed softly and nudged him gently as they kept walking. "Dante, we've known each other since we were three, and I have known since then that you're made for this job. You're wonderful at magic, so I don't understand why you're so hard on yourself."

He gave her a meaningful look. "Sera, let's be honest here. _You're_ the main reason I'm slated to be the royal sorcerer… If it weren't for you, not to mention your parents, then anyone with mediocre common sense would have chosen someone with more knowledge and experience."

"Everyone has to start somewhere, Dante. Besides, my parents believe in you, as do I." She smiled and squeezed his hand in an encouraging manner. "Now, believe in _yourself_ maybe?" With that, she hummed and started walking ahead of him.

Dante sighed as he followed the girl. He certainly appreciated her faith in him. It meant more now than ever, especially since it was Seraphina offering such encouragement. If he was honest with himself, he had been harboring a crush on his best friend ever since they were younger… However, she'd yet to either realize or acknowledge it, much to his dismay. Regardless, they were best friends, and if that was all they'd ever be, he supposed that he was fine with it.

"Dante, come on!" Seraphina called as she noticed her friend spacing out. "We are almost there."

The boy smiled and nodded, jogging to catch up with the princess.

Several minutes later, the friends arrived at the Spectral Reformatory, which was a rather run-down building. It was dilapidated beyond belief, with crumbling stone on the outside and overgrown weeds creeping along the building. A quick look to the sky proved that the overcast clouds had grown darker, signaling potential bad weather ahead. How appropriate…

The princess and young sorcerer pulled the old door together, loosening it and causing the hinges to squeak rather loudly. They waited a few moments before easing into the dark building.

Seraphina shivered as they entered. "It's sort of dark in here, isn't it?"

Dante withdrew his wand and illuminated the area with a simple spell. As he and his friend stepped in a bit more, the door behind them suddenly slammed shut. "Ahh!"

"Shh!" Seraphina pressed her hand over the boy's mouth. "Quiet."

"You know," a deep and amused voice drawled from somewhere in the room, "if you two are hoping to be discrete, you really need to work on it." Lord Tolvin appeared before them, a smirk on his face and his arms folded over his chest.

Dante gasped and lowered his friend's hand from his mouth. "You!" He frowned and held his wand toward the older man. "Lord Tolvin! You're the one who nearly destroyed my life!"

Seraphina eyed her friend cautiously, suspicious about his reaction. What was he talking about?

Lord Tolvin laughed. "It must be tragic to be so young yet be accused of treason, eh, Dante?"

"You're a liar!" He turned to the blonde, who seemed perplexed. "Sera, don't listen to him, please! He set me up."

Seraphina blinked in surprise. "What are you talking-?"

"Princess Seraphina," Lord Tolvin cooed, garnering her attention. "It's your royal duty to punish all evildoers, including those you may see as 'friends,' is it not? Favoritism is _not_ a royal standard." He snapped his fingers and produced a slew of hand-written plots and information about overthrowing the king of the former kingdom from which Namile was derived. "Young Dante here has been rather busy, it seems. He clearly felt inclined to get rid of King Salvador of the old kingdom yet failed. And then, upon the request of your family, he transferred to Namile undetected of his crimes; still, what is going to stop him from trying to do the same to your own father?"

Seraphina frowned at the mentioning and turned immediately to her friend, her eyes narrowed. "Dante, tell me the truth. Did you ever plan to take over the old kingdom?"

The dark-haired boy gaped at her. She didn't seriously believe he was capable of such a thing… Did she? "Sera… I could _never_ … I care about the people in both kingdoms, and I would never betray my king…just like I'd never betray you and your family."

She took in his words, her violet eyes searching his amethyst ones. Finally, she smiled softly and took his hands. "I believe you."

Dante sighed in relief.

Annoyed with the scene, Lord Tolvin snapped his fingers again and produced a hologram image of someone who looked remarkably like Dante writing out those plans and laughing evilly to himself. "You might want to face facts, Princess. Your friend is wicked, and no amount of delusion will change that."

Seraphina released the boy's hands and gaped at him in horror. "Dante… How could you?"

"I didn't—"

" _How could you_?!" she demanded, raising her voice. "Not to mention, you lied to me! Friends don't _lie_ , Dante!"

Lord Tolvin shook his head in a reproachful manner. "Sad that you can't trust people these days, isn't it, Princess Seraphina?" He approached Dante. "I'm afraid I have no choice but to arrest you, Dante the Delightful, in the name of King Salvador."

Dante panicked before shoving his wand and the map they'd used earlier into Seraphina's hands, surprising her. "Sera, please, use these and find Sofia and Mr. Cedric. You need to free them. They've done nothing wrong. I've been set up, and they can solve this and prove my innocence."

"I…"

Lord Tolvin grabbed the boy and placed him in shackles. "You're coming with me, boy. The Kingdom of Namile will determine your fate, and you'll no longer be able to escape your charges." With that, he dragged him out the door, leaving the princess behind.

Seraphina looked down at the wand and map in her hands, her mind reeling. Could Dante actually be guilty? Was he innocent? She frowned. Either way, she absolutely had to find and set the other two free. She'd deal with Dante later.

With that, she set off up the stairs of the reformatory to find the missing princess and sorcerer.

To be continued…


	7. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Confined

Summary: When visiting another kingdom to help establish a new sorcerer and his workshop, Cedric and Sofia suddenly get abducted by an unknown enemy. They must rely on the new young sorcerer to come to their rescue, though it may be easier said than done.

Disclaimer: I only own the Kingdom of Namile (Nah- **meel** -ā) and the characters associated with it (especially Dante and Seraphina). 😊

A/N: Here's the final chapter! Hope you've enjoyed. Now it's time for some finalizing action! 😉

*Story*

Chapter 7: Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Cedric sighed as he leaned against the cold wall before glancing down at Sofia. She'd somehow managed to fall asleep and was leaning against him, his arm secure around her to keep her safe. How much longer would they have to wait? Oh, if only he had his wand!

He frowned as he heard a slamming door, which startled the young girl and woke her up. "It's all right, Sofia," he assured her quietly as he held onto her tighter. "No matter what, I'll keep you safe."

She nodded and eyed the bars fearfully, uncertain of what would happen next.

Both friends seemed rather confused when a blonde girl appeared at the bars.

"Are you two Mr. Cedric and Sofia?" she asked cautiously as she held Dante's wand in her right hand and the map in her left.

"Yes!" Sofia responded anxiously, hoping beyond hope that this was their rescue. "Who are you?"

"I am Princess Seraphina of Namile, Dante's…friend." She wasn't entirely sure if that was going to be the case anymore if it turned out the boy was, indeed, guilty. But for now, the simpler the explanation, the better. "I've come to get you out of here, but I don't know how to use this thing." She glanced down at the wand.

"I can help," Cedric told her as he stood, pulling the younger princess up with him. "Point it at the lock and say, ' _Recludo_.'"

She nodded and did just that, unlocking the cell and freeing the sorcerer and princess.

"What happened to Dante?" Sofia asked in concern as she looked up at the other girl.

Seraphina frowned. "A man named Lord Tolvin, who's apparently been tracking him for a while, accused him of treason and arrested him. He said Dante had previously tried to overtake the king of the old kingdom, and he had holograms to prove it." She sighed. "I just don't know about that though… It doesn't seem like something Dante would do."

"It's not hard to fake a hologram, Princess Seraphina," Cedric informed her. "Truly, it's possible Lord Tolvin is only showing you what he wants you to see. In fact, he told us the very same thing: that Dante was accused of treason, and he'd gotten us out of the way since he believed we were 'accomplices.'" He scoffed. "We're from Enchancia, and we'd never met the boy until several hours ago. It's impossible for us to be accomplices. Something about this doesn't add up."

"I didn't trust that guy from the beginning," Sofia told them. "I mean, he knocked us out. He kidnapped us! Even if you're trying to keep people from messing up an arrest, you don't _do_ that."

"Let's get back to the castle," Seraphina told them. "The only way to find out what's really going on is to confront everyone and everything head on."

When they arrived at the castle again, the trio was in for a surprise. The kingdom was frozen in place. All the birds in the sky were halted in midair. Guards, villagers, workers, bugs…everything was frozen.

"Oh, no." Seraphina took off running, only to be followed by the visiting Enchancians. She skidded to a halt in the throne room, where she took notice that King Leandro and Queen Amelie were also frozen, seemingly in mid-yell. "Mom! Dad!"

"We need to find Lord Tolvin and Dante," Sofia reminded her, placing one hand on her arm for comfort. "Your parents will be all right."

"If I had to guess," Cedric began, "there's only one place I can think they might be."

The girls glanced at each other before nodding. With that, they headed toward Dante's workshop.

Dante struggled against his shackles, which were now not only around his arms but also his legs and torso as he was bound to a chair in his own workshop. "Let me go, Tolvin!" he ordered. "You know I did nothing wrong!"

"Hush," the man demanded as he twirled not only the boy's wand but Cedric's wand around his fingers. "Hmm, two new wands. I can do a lot more with both of these…" He smirked before glancing toward the door as it banged open. "Right on time."

"Dante?" Seraphina asked in surprise, shocked to see her friend chained up.

"Sera! Mr. Cedric! Sofia!"

"Let him go," Sofia told the man, who chuckled. "We don't believe for a minute that Dante is guilty."

"Guilty?" He laughed. "Of course he's not guilty. He's 'Dante the Delightful' after all." He scoffed and tightened his grip around the two wands. "Everyone always favors _him_. No one cares for tradition anymore…"

"What are you babbling about?" Cedric asked, irritated.

"I'm not _just_ a warlock and a warrior. I'm actually a cousin of Dante's." He smirked as everyone, even Dante, seemed surprised. "Of course, he was unaware. What a surprise. No one ever thinks to mention _me_ in their family line." He glared at the trio as they made their way toward Dante. "I was a former reigning warlock among the esteemed Kingdom of Dainsilor, from which Namile was derived."

"I don't believe you!" Dante snapped. "No one in _my_ family would behave like this!"

Lord Tolvin rolled his eyes. "You're such a simpleton, boy. _I_ was supposed to be in line for the job, not _you_. People overlooked me because they believed I was 'inferior' to you, which is absurd! How could a seventeen-year-old _child_ be better than _me_?" He scoffed and paced. "Therefore, it was necessary to set you up, and it was _so_ easy to do… My expertise is shape-shifting, Dante…"

Dante gaped, realizing what he was getting at.

"So disguising myself as you was not at all difficult."

"And that was what I saw in the hologram earlier?" Seraphina asked in surprise.

Sofia noticed that Lord Tolvin was distracted, so she lifted her arm with the Enchantlet. Giving it one sharp flick, she created a lasso and ripped the wands from the man's hands, pulling them back to herself.

Cedric raised his eyebrows at his apprentice in shock. " _Where_ did you learn to do _that_?" he asked, baffled, as she handed his wand to him and Dante's wand to the boy.

Sofia grinned sheepishly. "It's a long story."

Lord Tolvin growled and reached for his own wand, but Cedric used a spell to freeze him instead.

With a few simple words, Dante was set free and Seraphina called for her guards to arrest Lord Tolvin.

"Send him to the highest security prison," the blonde ordered as her men secured the prisoner.

Cedric smirked. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to also report this to the Conjurors' Board, Princess." The evil look Lord Tolvin gave him as he was being hauled away didn't go unnoticed.

Dante sighed in relief and smiled as the blonde princess rushed to hug him. He laughed and held her tighter. "I told you I'd never do something like that, Sera…" He pulled back and gave her a sincere look. "I'd never betray the king, your family, and definitely not you."

Seraphina smiled and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush. "Good to know. Now let's get you initiated already." She grabbed his hand and tugged him out of his workshop.

Sofia and Cedric stood in silence for a few moments before looking toward each other.

"I saw that coming," Sofia snickered, causing her friend to smile and roll his eyes.

"It _was_ rather obvious, wasn't it?" He extended one hand to her. "Come along, Sofia. We have a royal sorcerer to establish."

The girl grinned and accepted his hand as they left.

That evening, Royal Sorcerer Dante the Delightful was instated for the Kingdom of Namile, the first _and_ youngest sorcerer to ever reign in the new kingdom. While he had a lot on his shoulders, he knew with help from his friends, he could handle just about anything.

A few days later, while they were traveling back to Enchancia, Cedric turned to his apprentice and observed her for a few moments. "Sofia?"

"Hmm?" She glanced toward her friend.

"What you did back in Dante's workshop…"

She braced herself. She knew he was going to ask questions about the Enchantlet, but she wasn't fully prepared to respond. It was supposed to be rather secretive, especially considering all the tasks she had to perform and the potential danger she put herself in each time she participated. Again, Amber was the only one who knew nearly the full extent of what she did these days…

"…I'm proud of you."

Sofia blinked. Well, _that_ wasn't the direction she saw the conversation going. "U-Um…what?"

Cedric smiled. "You showed true bravery in the face of adversity, just like you always do. But…I'm seeing a change in you, Sofia. You're a lot stronger than you ever were before, and you're able to take on so much more now…" He chuckled softly. "Pretty soon, you won't need me for magic lessons and advice anymore. I think you can pretty well handle your own at this point."

The princess shook her head. "Mr. Cedric, I'm always going to need you. You're my friend!" She smiled brightly. "And besides, life would be pretty boring without my favorite sorcerer."

He laughed. "Well… The feeling is mutual, my dear." He smiled as she hugged him once more. "And what of our next adventure?"

Sofia grinned at him. "That would be making sure Baileywick is all right and doesn't overwork himself, according to Mom."

The sorcerer rolled his eyes. "That's a harder task than taking down Lord Poodles, I'm afraid." He glanced back at her with an amused smirk before they both cracked up laughing as the coach soared onward toward Enchancia.

The end


End file.
